Young Writers

Hi! Its my first time posting! =) Long time lurker, though. First off I'd like to thank this board for being very insightful into many writing tasks, and I would also like to thank all the little people...

I have a question...
How should young writers like myself start out? I'm 15, a freshmen in highschool, avid reader/writer (as cliched as that sounds), and I'd really like to find some way to break into the feild (after obviously honing my skils big time!) Is there any easy way to do this as a minor? Can I submit writing just like anyone else, or will editors mark me off just as a minor? Is there any different approach to writing when I'm younger?
I would really like to be a novel writer, but from all the advice I hear, its better to work with short stories first. I know the two mediums are pretty different, but I would like to hone this skill more...

Any tips? =)
Thanks a lot for the help!

~JOSH

You'd do what any writer of any age would do Josh: write, polish, study markets and submit. The only time your age should come into play is if/when you're offered a contract. At that point you'd most likely need a parent/guardian to sign or co-sign it.

I wouldn't mention your age in a cover letter. I think it's more apt to jaundice an editor's eye regarding the submission than pique his/her curiousity.

Welcome to the boards and good luck.

Write a lot. Read a lot. Join a writing group. Take writing classes. Write a lot. Read a lot. Repeat.

Oh yeah, and study the market if you want to get published.

I'm just 13 and I have not yet submitted to any publishers yet. Right now, I'm focusing on improving my work before I send it in. I've started my own writing club for teens and kids so that I can continue to help others write when at the same time improving my own editing skills and I also submit my work there so others can do the same. I'd suggest that you do something similar, such as join or create a club. It's helped me greatly, and I'm sure you will agree

~Katie

The nice thing about writing is that no matter your age, it works the same for everyone. You have to write somthing worth reading, and then send it to someone who may buy it.

But you might also look around for writing contest for teenagers. There are some few very good ones around, and they can make the road easier.

Saw your sight. I don't believe a 13 year old had much to do with putting it together. If people are "guiding" you, I hope that they understand and abide by some semblance of ethics. It's bad enough that so many adults are drawn into the writing game by doses of snake oil. I wouldn't want the younger, those so much richer by discovery, be so fooled.

Worse case, MKC, is if you were an adult.

Just speculation, mind you. If all this isn't so, I humbly apologize.

Are you suggesting that someone made that site for me? I made it all myself, I had the idea and created it. Sure, I didn't do the html for the message board (I used Invisionfree) but I did make the website by myself. I don't quite understand what you meant by that last part, "semblance of ethics".

The 7th and 8th graders I teach can put together some pretty nice things. Most teens are pretty computer savvy.

I won't even talk about how my 9 year old gets around better on my computer than I do!

My then-fourteen year old helped me with my web site. Knew far more than I.

Anyway, there's a magazine for kids and teens called Stone Soup. www.stonesoup.com It's written by kids and teens for kids and teens. If you can get hold of a copy of the 2005 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market, it has a section of publications that use work from young writers.

And as another poster said, don't state your age in your cover letter. It's not important until you sign the contract.

Good luck!

Young people are VERY computer proficient. They know more about websites and blogs and IMs and what not than many adults.

Young people are VERY computer proficient. They know more about websites and blogs and IMs and what not than many adults.

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You got that right. If I want to know anything about websites and blogs, I go to my twelve year old and ask him. He's better at it than most adults I know.

Stormie,

You're not going to believe this, but got my only published manuscript credit thirty years ago from Stone Soup, for a
sci-fi short story called "My Space Trip". I didn't even think
it still existed until I read your post. They even published one of the drawings I sent with it Of course I was only ten, and after that I put my "career" on hold, to deal with demands of school, and life, and to really decide what I wanted to write about. The world is very small place sometimes

Thanks for the memories,
Chacounne

The world is very small place sometimes

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Sure is! Glad it triggered a good memory.